Tag: 03.22.17

Alex Ross: LA Philharmonic At The Top Of The Orchestra World

“The most venerable American orchestras take pride in having a distinctive sound: the Philadelphia strings, the Chicago brass, the Cleveland blend. The New York Philharmonic has prized a virtuosity that edges, for better or worse, into brashness. The L.A. Phil, by contrast, has a tradition of no tradition: its sense of self resides not in a fixed repertory but in a mediation between past and present. That spirit of flux has persisted across several generations and now seems part of the institution’s identity—although, in the fragile sphere of the performing arts, nothing can be considered permanent. As a critic, I have made a habit of following this orchestra wherever it goes, and I am therefore hesitant to offer advice as it plots its future. But the adage of another noted Southern California composer comes to mind: keep on keeping on.”

William O’Rourke Clarifies: What I Meant By “Fatal Lack Of Talent”

Let us be reasonable here. I am too old and have published too much to be thought ignorant enough not to be aware of the objections put forward by the miffed 13. But, I contend, writers who publish are always writing at the top of their form. No one writes down. It’s difficult, almost impossible. Writers cursed with too much “talent” are unable to stoop to conquer.

It Might Not Be Popular, But We Need To Defend Hierarchies (The Right Kind, Of Course)

“Hierarchy is an unfashionable thing to defend or to praise. British government ministers denounce experts as out of tune with popular feeling; both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders built platforms on attacking Washington elites; economists are blamed for not predicting the 2008 crash; and even the best established practice of medical experts, such as childhood vaccinations, are treated with resistance and disbelief. We live in a time when no distinction is drawn between justified and useful hierarchies on the one hand, and self-interested, exploitative elites on the other.”

Why Do People Keep Wanting To Write Off The Novel As Dead?

“Any number of critics since Bergonzi have regurgitated the idea that the novel as we know it today persists in a kind of zombie state, stripped of whatever vital essence it once had (and this in spite of the fact that novels are being published and consumed in unprecedented numbers). But the argument for the novel’s demise has its own kind of ghoulish quality to it by now.”

NYT Adds Jesse Green As “Co-Chief” Theatre Critic, Hints At More Critics To Come

“With the addition of Jesse to the already formidable theater team led by theater editor Scott Heller, The Times continues its commitment to cultural criticism. In the last two years alone, the voices of Amanda Hess, Margaret Lyons, Wesley Morris, James Poniewozik and Jennifer Senior have joined The Times’s already unbeatable roster of full-time critics, which now counts 21 in total. Meanwhile, we continue to seek out new voices to bring into the fold, and hope to make further additions to our critical ranks this year.”